Cap-placing machine.



LE ROYHSHr v -CAP PLACING MACHINE.

APPLICATION. FILED DEC-1811914v Patented June 27, 1916.

' LE ROY FISH.

CA P PLACING MACHINE.

APPLICATION F |LED DEC. [8, 1914.

1,188,638. ,Pateme un-ew,1916,.

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CAP PLACING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED DEC. 18, 1914.-

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LE ROY FISH. CAP'PLACING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 1'8, I914.

Patented June 27, 1916.

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7 LE' BOY FISH, F NEWYBERLIN, NEW YORK, ASSIGN'OR T0 BORDENS CONDENSEDMI LK COMPANY, on NEW YORK, n. Y., A CORPORATION or NEW JERsEY.

v GAP-PLACING MACHINE.

pec i n o L s Patent Patentedflune 27, 1916.

'Application filed December 18, 1914. Serial No. 877,946.

To all whom it mag concern Be it known that I, Ln BOY of the UnitedStates, and a resident of New Berlin, in the county ofChen'ango andState of New York, have'invented a new and useful Cap-Placing Machine,of which the following'is a specification.

My invention, in its more general aspects, relates to the placing ofcaps on, and in, cans preparatory to their being crimped, or otherwisesecured thereto, to produce airtight seams; and it relates particularlyto thus automatically placing such relatively minute .caps as areusually employed in the seahng of such usually small, cylindrical,metallic,- cans as are, in great quantities, 'used as conf tainers forhermeticallysealed merchandise,

' for example, condensed milk.' Hitherto, I

believe, such placing, including its indispensable preliminary sortingand dehvery of the caps, hasfbeen manual. For example,

U. S. Letters Patent No. 1,029,326 to Burt Eugene Taylor, dated June11,1912, disclose .automatic means to force such caps into, but

only an operator to manually place them on, the cansi The caps inquestion are, for the most part,small, attenuated, metallic, circular,ro1 1ghedged, disks, -say/about one inch in diameter, They are usually.had in' lots, or quantities, comprising mu1t1tud1nous morelor lessnested Similar. members-j; I -"quickly and effectively separate these;onp by one, from theiraggregation, and iransfe'r the isolated member to,:and placeTit fw'ithinthe thereto closely fitting opening in'thetop ofone of the filled cans awaiting its reception, not only requiresexceptional adroitness, care, and skill, but also a delicacy of touchunattainable unless the operators fingers are so bare andunprointermixed, and

tected as to be toooften undesirably injured by friction from the roughedges, and with the consequent risk of germ-infecting the goods. Amachine capable of dispensing with all handling of the caps by theoperator hasv therefore long been a desideratum.

The object of my invention comprises pro- "vision of means whereby,without contact by the operator, a single. cap is, as often as required,sorted, in proper position, from its associates, transferred to thecan-opening, placed thereon, and thereinto forced as required forsubsequent sealing.

In a herewith contemporaneously filedap- .plicat-ion for patentSerial-Number $77,947

Frsn, a citizen" elements, and combinations of elements,

illustrated in the accompanying drawings,

in which:

Figure l is aside elevation of important elements of my machine andmeans for operating the same; the endless chain belt being-indicated,diagrammatically and in part, by a vertical section thereof; Fig. 2 is,on

in; section. on the line 22 of Fig. 1, ind1- eating particularly some ofthe means assistant in themoving of the cans, and in the supporting'themstationary; Fig. 3- is, on

reduced scale, a diagrammatic plan, partly enlarged scale, a centralvertical sectional view of my cap-holder and plunger, and

showing also some" of the other therewith associated elements; Fig. 4 isa plan, partly in section,-of Fig. 3 taken on the line 44 of the latter;Fig. 5 is a detail, perspective view of-one of the movable segments ofmy capholder; Figs. 6, 7 and 8 are diagrammatic elevations,'part1y incentral vertical section, illustrative of'successive phases in the move-.mentsof the longer, and some of its accessories, relat1vely to the capand the can;

Fig. 9 is a top-plan view of the movable segmental parts of my capholder in their retracted, or open, position; Fig. 10 is, on a stillmore enlarged scale, a top view of'my' inclined. cap chute containingcaps with parts broken away to show my movable stops and certain oftheir accessories for supporting the caps and for separating and duringtheir forward movement relatively to thetrip-lever whereby a cancontrols the op- .r'eleasing one of them at a time; Fig. 11 is ing,'instrumentalities; Fig. 16 is a similar vi'ewof the, as yet, uncappedcan-at the mo ,ment "when it has fully actuated the triple'ver wherebyit controls't-he action of the. said instrumentalities and has arrlvedat lts position of stationary support. Fig. l7is a .centra'l, vertical,section of part of a can and of a cap astherein placed. by myinstrunie'ntalities. Fig. 18 is a'view of the parts 3 illustrated atFig.1? after the flange of the cap has been 'crimped toform the jointbe-.

tween the parts.

r ings, are of uniform dimensions, and of the I usual cylindrical type,having, in the top,

a circular concentric .opening 19', surrounded by the usual upwardlyextending vertical flange 19 (Figs. 1 and 18); The

metallic caps, indicated as an entirety by 20,? are likewise ofthe usualcircular type, consisting principally of a circular plane,

Y disk-like, body, or .portion, having a therefrom upwardly-extendingannular neck 20 (dimensioned to closely fit the opening 19 in the can),and surrounded by a therefrom 5 horizontally outwardly flaring flange 20(Figs, 17 and 18), the caps thus embodying a bowl or recess 20*.

The final function of. my herein claimed instrumentalities is to forcethe cap, previously thereby properly manipulated and placed, into theopening of the can in the position indicated by Fig. 17 thereby fitting.the parts to be crimped, or otherwise hermetically secured, together byany well known means, as for example by such a type ofrwell known rotarycrimper as is shown and described in the above referred to LettersPatent No. 1,029,326 to .Burt Eugene Taylor; which changes the relationif the parts to each other as indicated in For the operation of mynovel'devices I provide means to move, or feed, the filled, uncapped,cans, in procession, thereto, also to'support them stationary inoperative relation thereto, and to move' themaway therefrom. Suchmeansmay be of any of those now known for the purpose, but'T prefer thosedescribed and shown in said patent to Taylor, and have-accordingly, to

an extent diagrammatically, represented them in my drawings, in which A(Figs. 2, 15, 16, etc.) indicates a horizontally mov able endlesssprocket chain, or endless-canconveyer, carrying a plurality oftherefrom horizontally outwardly projecting equidis-,

tant flights, or fingers, A, A between which are, as shown, equal-to thediameters of the cans. A is also indicated, partly in vertical section,in Fig. 1.

.the interspaces Intermittent movements of'the endless conveyer areimparted thereto, and controlled Them'etal'lic cans 19, Shown in thedraw statlonary, by coaction of the table insectsby, any convenientmeans g asffor exam- .ple, thesprocket wheels A A thelatter an idler,and the former. intermittently driven by aid of vertical shaft A (Figs.1 and 2 carryin a disk A, provided with pins A, dispose to engage withpins A carried by adisk A, carried by a constantly rotating horizontalshaft A The pins on the respective disks'are, relatively to each otherand to the other parts, so numbered,

spaced, and disposed as to cause the endless conveyer to advance,intermittently in the direction of the arrow a (Fig.2) a distance equalto that between the centers of two adjoining spaces A 1 B. s astationary table, or horizontal support for the cans, disposed partlyadjacent to, and under, the fingers A which move them thereover.Thecans, after having been filled, as, for example, with condensed milk,by any well known means, are moved toward the endless conveyer, and intothe interspace between two of the fingers A, in any convenient manner,as, for'example, by aid of a can-carrying endless belt B, such as shownin said Patent No. 1,029,326, on which they ride'flush with the table B,and which is intermittently advanced by means timed to feed a canbetween .the fingers of the endless conveyer during a pause in the advacc of the latter. The cans are fed to the belt B in. any desired manner.A procession of filled cans each disposed between a pair of fingers A,is, by the foregoing means, supported and moyed intermittently over thetable a distance equal to that between the centers of any two of the,interspaces A between the fingers A. Wherever required, guarded againstundue transverse movements by any desired form The cans are, as usual,

dicated by B in Fig. 2. Similarly my capplacing devices are located soas to deliver, place, and force a cap relatively to a can,concentrically with a station E (Fig. 2) located, in the pathway, inadvance of the crimper, thus providing the latter with a can and capready prepared for itsoperation, which occurs while another-cap is,during the same pause in advance of the canconveyer, being placed inanother can. At

.this last mentioned point, as indicated in Fig 2, each can istemporarily supplprted,

the lateral guide-rails A and A and, during i .a pause in .the advanceof the conveyer A,

' by the two fingers A which at that time contact opposite sides of thecan.

vanced to its stationary position bythe. end-.

less can-conveyer.

My novel means, the following devices, and combinations of devices, itbeing understood that formal, or.

equivalently functioning, variations therefrom are included in myinvention. Disposed above, and in concentric alinement with, a can whentemporarily supported asaforesaid at the station B I provide avertically movable plunger 21, having a therewith concentric, removable,presser- 'foot- 21* insertible in the recess 20 of the caps 20.. Thepresser-foot comprises, as

shown in Fig. 3, a threaded shank 21 screwable into the plunger, thusproviding for interchangeability of differently dimensioned presser-feetto meet requirements of differently diametered caps. The plunger isslid- .ably supported in a bearing C carried by the stationary frame Cof the machine, and

is vertically reciprocated by aid of a leverarm 22 (Fig. 1) one end ofwhich contains a usual slot (not shown) through which loosely passes apin 22' carried by-theplunger. The opposite end of the lever arm 22 is oscillatably joined with the frame 0 by a -"pivotal connection 22*. Thelever-arm carries a pin 22 and is intermittently oscillated ashereinafter described by}; link 23, in this instancehorizontally-oscillatably joined by the pivotal connection 24* with avertically-reciprocatable rod 24: slidably.

supported in the bearings C C carried by' the frame C. The rod24'carries, adjacent its lower end, an arm 24 provided with a pin 24normally bearing upon one of -a .plurality of concentric portions, 25*,of a cam-disk, 25, carried bythe shaft A and having a like plurality ofintervening recesses, 25 The link 23 is constantly pulled downwardly bya retractable spring 26 con necting it with a stationary part, in thisinstance one of the bearings 0 Therefore as the disk25 is rotated thepin 24 is alternately raised and lowered and consequently also the link23 can be vertically reciprocated.

- The lever arm 22 is operatively connected with the link 23 by means ofan opening, 23, in.the latter, within which is looselyheld the-pin 22 ofthe former. This opening has, as shown in Fig. 1, a transverse, orhorizontal, extension, and, at right angles herein claimed, comprisewardly extending arm 27. 27 pair of alike antifriction rollers 27 and 27tothe latter, a vertical extension in parallelism with the link. Itfollows that when the pin 22 is in the horizontal portion of saidopening the lever arm 22 will'be vertically oscillated by the verticalreciprocations of the link, and the plunger 21 and its connectionscorrespondingly reciproca'ted, but that the said reciprocations will notoccur when the'pin22 is in the vertical extension of the opening 23*.The link 23 is also provided with a .normally verticallyextendingopening, or slot, 23, for a purpose soon to be described. By aid of thisconstructlon a can advancing through the pathway of the machine isenabled to con-' trol the movements of the plunger by the followingmeans, viz ;-A trip-lever 27 oscillatably-carried on a part of the frameC by the pivotal'connection 0, comprises a' downwardly extending arm 27and an upcarrles a (Figs. 1, 15 and 16) normally disposed to projectinto the pathway of the machine in the way of a therein advancing can.These rollers are, preferably, somewhat spacedapart as shown, and themedial line between them, atright'angles to the pathway, .is coincident(Fig. 16) with that of one of'the spacesA during apause in the advanceof the endless can-carrier. The upwardly extending arm 27 b of thetrip-lever 27 has an elongated slot 27 The trip-lever is adjustablyconnected with one end of'a link 28 by .a thereby carried bolt 28passing through said slot and provided with a lock nut 28 .to bind theparts as required to regulate the throw. The opposite end of the link 28is pivotally secured to the upper end of a lever 29 oscillatably carriedby the frame C, and comprising an upper arm 29 and a lower arm 29". Thelower arm 29 is pivotally connected, as indicate'd by dotted lines inFig. 1, with one end of a link 30, the opposite end of which is, assimilarly indicated, similarly connected with an oscillatable arm 31rotatably supported on a pivot C carried by the frame C as alsoindicated "by dotted lines in Fig. 1. The arm 31 cartion, that a canadvanced, as aforesaid,

through the pathway of the machine, will trip the lever 27 therebymoving the horizontal extension of the slot 23 to engage-the pin 22 intheposition illustrated by Fig. 1, and thus providing for thedown-forcing of the plunger 21. Also that the next intermittent advanceof the can by the can conveyer will remove its outward pressure on thetrip-lever, whereupon the latter and its aforesaid connections arerestored to normal position by the action of an expansile spiralspring32 through which the link 28 is threaded and one end of which bearsagainst a stop 32 carried by said link, and

the other end against a bracket 32 carried by the frame C, all. asindicated by dotted lines-in Fig. The pin 22 is thus restored to normalposition, in alinement with the vertical extension 23 of the opening inthe link 23, whereupon a compressible, or cushioning, spring, 33,interposed to bear agamst the lever arm 22 and a bracket 33" carried'bythe frame C, will restore the lewar and thus the plunger 21 to normalposition.-

llt will, of course, belunderstoodthat the relative proportions anddispositions of the .elements referred to are such as to time thedescent of' the plunger only during -'the pause of the can centered asaforesaid thereunderat the station B Before the plunger can operateusefully, it'is, however,-essential-ythat. acap be separated from itsfellows, conveyed. therefrom thus isolated, and

-placed,=and supported, in proper position,

relatively to the plunger and the opening I p .in the can. My presentinventionincludes,- provision of means for these purposes as ,',30

follows. By the aid of the invention claimed in my aforesaid herewithcontemporaneous application for Letters Patent,

the caps are brought,'out of their confused and disorderly aggregation,into the comparatively orderly, but still undesirably contacting, andmutually-supporting, procession, in which they are shown in Fig. 10, to

- wit, bearing against each other-in an invclined chute, '34:, having apathway there-. for leading from the sorting, positioning,

and feeding, devices disclosed in my said Y Tapplication. To further.detach, release, and

advance a cap from this mutually contacting and supporting procession,ll provide, in

the chute, a plurality of vertically disposed. stops, or pins, in thisinstance two,-35 and 36 (Figs. 1213) independently movable,

as required, into, and out of, thepathway.

The chute 34 is adjustably, stationarily, supported by any convenientmeans, in this instance, as shown in Fig. 1, by the thereto securedbracket 34 having a slot 34 through which passes a threaded pin Ccarried by the frame C, the parts being clamped. together at the desiredinclination by a lock-nut C The chute comprises a floor 34 (Figs. 13 and14) inclined as shown in Fig. 1, also lateral guide-members, 34,

7 having cap-overlapping extensions 34 (Figs.

10 and 14 The floor of the chute is pro- .-vided with a downwardextension 34: leading to a point of deliverybeneath the presser-foot 21,and also, each side its medial line, with transverse openings, or slots,34 8t through which the pins 35. respec- -i.aa.e

tively extend and are movable in and out of the pathway. The pin 35 iscarried. by

an oscillatable arm 35 and the pin 36, similarly, by a like arm 36,respectively oscil.-

latablyrheld to the under-part of the floor of the chute by pivots 35and 36. Under neath, and reciprocatable'relatively to, the bottom of thechute, I provide a cam-plate 37 thereto slidably secured by headedscrews 38. extending through longitudinal slots 38 f in 'said plate. Theplate is also provided with angularly-extending openings, or Cam'-slots, 37337", through whichrespectively extend the pins 35 and 36.Thenormal po-' sition of the pins is as shown in Fig.10 in which'the pin35 is stationary in the pathwayv of the procession of caps, the lowestmember of which bears by gravity against" the pin" and thus assists inthe supportand retention all its followers in the chute'. At this stagethe pin' 36 is outside the pathways The aforesaid construction is suchthat when the cam-plate in its reciprocations' slides upward, (2. towardthe left in Figs.

10 and 11, the pin 36 is moved into the pathway-to bear against thelower edge of the second'cap in the procession which, with itsfollowers,.it forces slightly upward in the chute, thus separating thefirst cap from contact with the procession and holding back the latter,after which continued upward movement of the cam-platemoves the pin 35.outof the pathway, thusreleasing the first cap which is thenimmediately conveyed by gravity down the inclined fioor of the chute,and its extension, to the place of lit its delivery, under thepresser-foot 21 will be noted that thefirst cap is thus efi'ectivelydetached, and isolated, from the second, even though, as sometimeshappens, the flanges 20 of the two are undesirably mutually overlappedas indicated in'Fig. 10.

ll provide means to reciprocate the camp'late'at the proper-time asfollows z-Une end of a link 39 is secured tothe cam-plate l by a pivotalconnection 39 (Fig. l) the opposite end being likewise secured to the,

shorter arm (shown in dotted lines) of 'lever 4:0 oscillatably-carriedby a stationary pin 40 carried by a bracket 34c carried by I the chute34. The long arm of the lever 40 is secured, by a pivotal connection t0to the lower arm 29 of the above described advance of a cafe to itsaforesaid station concentric with the plunger 21 and in ad- Vance ofthedescent of the latter.

The mere delivery by gravity, and as aforesaid, of a cap to a'placeunder the. presser-foot 21 cannot, however, be relied bottom plate,providing a floor, 41, carried screw, or feather "43, carried by thehubcapause in the advance of the 1s, as 1 station check-rod C .011 tosecure its proper placing, or insertion, by the latter, into the openmgof the' can; my invention therefore comprising also the following meansto insure requisite accu# racy of presentation, and support, of the capso delivered, the plunger. I provide a cap-holder D 8)yieldingly'carried concentrically by the plunger 21, and comprising ahorizontaland during actlon thereon by To meet these requirements,

by'suspenders 42, carried by provided with' a hub 43 passes slidably theplunger 21. The late and its'hub contain a counterbore 43 Fig.

a top plate .43,

3) disposed partly within which, and bear-.

ing against awasher21 carried by the plunger, 1s a spiral cushioningspring 44 encircling the therein portion of the plunger and by means ofwhichit is enabled to yield ingly lift the cap-holder until the lattrsascent is, as indicated in Figs. 1 and 3, stopped by its contact with astationary carried, vertically adjustably, by the frame C. Thecap-holder is, without unduly limiting its vertical movement'srelatively to the plunger, prevented from turning horizontally aroundthe latter by means of a vertically extended recess, or slot,- 21, intowhich enters vertically slidably the 43; The cap holder may also,preferably, comprise a thereby carried member 45, (115- posed above theextension 34 of the chute,

[351 so as to intercept, deflect, and thus aid in to required position,a 'cap which may,as sometimes happens, unduly bounce upward from thechute. To aid in securing, and in maintaining, correct alinement of the40: center of the cap with}. that of the opening in the can, and oftheplunger during the Iatters descent, provide', movably supporteduponthe floor 41 and constitutmg an unportant feature of my cap-holder,a plurallity of, in this instance four,-horizontally, ra-

dially, resiliently, movable, alike, segmental members 46, 46, 46", 46",normally concentric with the central vertical axis of the plunger andnormally mutually contacting.

lEach of said-segments is, as shown in Flg.

5, concentrically, downwardly, beveled, as at 46 toward their commoncentral vertical axis, which is, normally, identical with that of theplunger and of the can during the latter when it aforesaid, laterallysupported, at the B bycoaction of the guard rail A, the flights A andthe rollers 27, 27, in the position indicated in Fig. 16. Each segment 0is radially slidably supported, on the floor 41, by means of a thereinradially disposed slot, 46" (Fig. 4) through which passes loosely aset-screw 41 secured in the floor 41. The segments are, in thisinstance,

yieldably forced toward, and held in, their (Figs. 3,6, 7 and Y throughwhich normal position,by means of the spiral con; tractile spring 47disposed to surround, and bear equally against, the outward segmentalperiphery of each, and the tension of which is suflicient to resisttheir outward radial displacement by pressure from the plunger untilafter the cap-holder has contacted, and bears upon, a can, Y

To insure correct, horizontal, posing and presentation to thepresser-foot, 21", of an irregularly, or, as shown in Fig. 3, obliquelydelivered and deposited cap, I provide a yieldable follower, 48,- in-theform of a countersunk cylinder concentric with, resting normally on,supported by, and projecting slightly below, the resser-foot, as shownin Fig. 3. A spiral, easily-compressible, spring 49, encircling theshank 21 of the presser- .foot, bears against the follower and theplunger 21 thus delicately tempering the pressures imparted by thefollower to such a misplaced cap inthe path 'of its. downward descentw1th the presser-foot.-

The operation of my machine may be outlined as follows :As a can ismoved forward by the can-conveyer it encounters and bears against theroller 27 thus actuating the trip-lever 27 and is then centered, and,

during the pause of the can-conveyer, held stationary under thepressure-foot and capholder. While the centering is occurring ;themovement of the trip-lever has caused the separation of a cap from itsassociates in the chute, and its release, whereupon it slides by gravityinto the bowl-like concavity presented thereto 'bythe beveled innervedges of the segments of the cap-holder. The mechanisms are so timedthat over the cap thus delivered the descent-ofthe-plun- 105.

ger begins; thus resulting, as is progresses,

in firstly, administering to the cap the cor ward, between the segmentsof the cap holder which radially make way' for its there-.

presser-foot enters the bowl of v 7 The continued by further guidedpassage therethrough, 3

into the can-opening into'which it is finally forced, into requiredposition for crimp ing, by the conclusion of the plungers downwardstroke as shown in Fig. 8. This done,

the advance of the can by the conveyer is resumed thus liberating thetrip-lever with consequent return of the instrumentalities to normalposition ready forthe next can and cap as per thev constructionsheretofore described.

It will bejnotedthat each .of theoperations of my above described devces are inmeans controlled by fcap into required position in said can.

'bers and in said floor dispensable to the cap-placing function of I mymachine as an organized entity, and are controlled by the advance toposition of a can without which they cannot normally operate. They areaccurate and expeditious, are non-in urious to goods, cans,

' ters Patent is the following, viz; v a I 1. In a machine for placingcaps in cans means to move a can; means to support against gravity aplurality of mutually-contacting caps; means controlled by said can toseparate a cap from said plurality; means controlled by said can towithdraw its said supporting means from said cap; means to guide towardsaid canthe resulting descent of said cap; means controlled by said canto position said cap relatively thereto; and said can to force said 2.In a machine for placing caps in cans means to. move a can; meanscontrolled by a can to positiona cap relatively thereto;

and means controlled by said can to force said cap into requiredposition insaid can.

3.-In a machine for placing caps in cans, a chute having a'pathway. forthe caps in procession on an inclined, floor between lateral guidingmembers and in said floor a transversely-extending opening; projectinginto said pathway through said opening a stop carried byan underneathpivoted arm;

an underneath movable plate comprising an 'angularly-extending openingwithin which said stopextends, and means to reciprocate said platewhereby said stop is moved in said openings into and out 0 said pathway.

4. In a machine for placing caps in cans, means to move a can, a chutehaving a pathway for the caps in procession on an inclined floor betweenlateral guiding mema transversely-extend ing opening; projecting intosaid pathway through said opening a stop carried by an underneathpivoted arm; anunderneath movable plate comprising anangularly-extending opening within which said stop extends, and meanscontrolled by a canto reciprocate said plate whereby said stop is movedin said. opening into and out of said pathway.

5. In a machine for procession on an-inclined floor between latneathpivoted arm; an underneath movable plate comprising twolangularly-extending openings within one of which one of said intosaid-pathway'while the out,"and vice versa. 1

and caps,

' plunger.

placing caps in cans, a chute having a pathway for the caps in pinsextends, and means to reciprocate said plate whereby one of said stops1s moved 6. In a machine for placing caps in cans means to move'a can, achute having a pathwayfor the caps 1n procession on'an in other is movedclined floor between lateralguiding members and in said floor waythrough each of said openings a "pin two singularly-extending openingswithin one 7. In a machine for placing caps in cans,

means to move a can; a support for a can; above a can thereon supporteda vertically ,two' transver' sely e'x tending openings, projecting intosaid path-j 1 each carried on an underneath pivoted arm, an underneathmovable plate comprising of which one of said pins extends, and meansmovable plunger; and means controlled by said can to force downwardlysaid plunger.

8. In amachine for placing caps in cans, means to move a can; asupportfor a can; above a can thereon supported a cap-holder comprisinga plurality of horizontally radially movable segments; above said holdera vertically movable plunger; and means con-- trolled by said can toforce downwardly said plunger between said segments toward said can.

9. In a machine for placing 'caps in cans, means to move acan; a supportfor a can; above a can thereon supported a cap-holder comprising aplurality of horizontally yielding segments; means to return them tonor- 'malposition; normally above said holder a movable plunger; andmeans convertically said can to force downwardly said trolled by 10. Ina machine for placing caps in cans, means to move a can; a-verticallymovable plunger; projecting normally below said plunger a therewithconcentric vertically yielding follower; and means controlled by saidcan to force downwardy saidplungen.

thereafter said can; means to restore said plunger and follower tonormal posltion; and means to restore said segments to their normal 'p'osi tion,

therewith concentric verti-- men'ts toward said can until saidfolli'iwer contacts a cap in 'said holder and until said plunger hasforced said capiinto H 12. In a machine for placing caps in cans, asupport for a can; above a can thereon supported a cap-holder comprisinga plurality of horizontally yielding segments; normally abovesaid'holder a vertically movable plunger; projecting .normally belowsaid plunger a therewith concentric vertically-yielding follower; meanscontrolled by said can to force downwardly said plunger between saidsegments toward said can until said follower contacts a cap in saidholder and further until said plunger has forced said cap into said can;means to restore said plunger and follower to normal position; and meansto restore said segments to their normal position.

13. In a machine for placing caps in cans,

' means to movea can, a support for a can;

above a can thereon supported a cap-holder comprising a plurality ofhorizontally yielding segments; adjacent said holder means to supportagainst gravity a plurality of mutually-contacting caps; meanscontrolled by said can to separate a cap from said plurality meanscontrolled by said can to withdraw its said supporting means from saidcap; means to guide the resulting descent of said cap into said holder;normally above said holder a vertically movable plunger; and meanscontrolled by said can to force downwardly said plunger against said capuntil it is forced into said can.

14. In a machine for placing caps in cans, means to move a can; asupport for a can; above a can thereon supported a cap-holder comprisinga plurality of horizontally yielding segments; adjacent said holdermeans to support against gravity a plurality of mutually-contactingcaps; means controlled by said can to'separate a cap'from saidplurality; means controlled by said can to withdraw its said supportingmeans from said I cap; means to guide the resulting descent of said capinto said holder; normally above said holder a vertically movableplunger; projecting normally below said-plunger a therewith concentricvertically-yielding follower; means controlled'by said can to forcedownwardly said plunger between saidscgments toward said can until saidfollower contacts said cap in said holder and further until said plungerhas forced said cap into said can; means to restore said plunger andfollower to normal position; and means to restore said segments to theirnormal position.

LE ROY FISH.

Witnesses:

WALTER ENGELs,

WILLIAM J. HorKms.

